Our vacation continued from Inari to Nuorgam via Utsjoki alongside the lush green of river Tana.

Tana (in Finnish Teno) river is flowing between along the Finnish–Norwegian border. Its length is 256 kilometers / 159 miles in this upper course. Total length of it is about 800 kilometers / 497 miles.

Tana is popular among salmon fishermen and kayaking. I asked from one of my friends which side of river it is better to drive and he said that Finnish side. So when looking at my photos, You see mostly the Norwegian side. I had high expectations of seeing Tana all the way, but I was disappointed. Since my friend drove the same route few years ago, he told that Tana could be seen quite well alongside it, but now in many places alongside the river, bushes prevented visibility. Sigh.

Another thing was the lack of good resting-places. So I start my photos showing one resting-place where no benches, tables or seats were available. Well no problems, we used again our car or better said its trunk as coffee table. We had our thermos full of hot coffee made in the morning and some delicious sandwiches. So we stretched our legs at same time when we enjoyed our light breakfast. We are used to do so, even in Germany on our many car holidays there! I let my photos talk more.

Thank You. That is true, because we’ll visit my mother on next week. So sorry for girds, but I did not know it. Now it is opened, it is sure, because there was short news about its opening. I am sure that now You recognize my blue car. Its color is special and it is only in this model.

You cannot guess how glad I am, that You looked at the video also. Yes, she has learnt how to shoot video with her steady hands. The road was not so good, as You saw. She started to shoot videos when we were in Germany many years ago where I wanted drive fast on highway. Then my war was “brand new” and Anja took video from my car’s speedometer at the speed of 242 kilometers / 150 miles. Her hand is incredible steady in that video.

She is still learning how to shoot videos from TV. We discuss many times what was good in some program and what wasn’t. Watching is learning and then comes doing. They reinforce each others.

Thank you for including the video — it was very good. Your car makes a wonderful coffee table; I’ve used our car in the same way. The river is beautiful and the valley through which it flows is very lush. In a couple of your pictures I think I spotted a red cottage on the Norwegian side of the river. That would be a wonderful spot for a vacation home.

To put a video with my post was a test. Thank You watching at it. Maybe it completed my photos. First time we used our car as coffee table was in Germany. There are incredible huge areas at Car Plazas and all the seats were occupied, and then our car served as table for the first time. Later we learned that it is actually great way, because we can stress our legs after long drive and at same time to drink coffee. The river was quite dry and it seemed that in the summer it has not rained much. The place is ideal for fishing in Spring time. I love those small red cottages also.

I really enjoy seeing your photos. That’s a beautiful river and I find the surrounding hills fascinating. The vegetation is so different from here. I’d love to fish that river! The video added a very nice perspective to the whole series!

I really like the addition of the video – makes me feel even more like I am traveling there with you. Driving along, I feel like your car and the two of you could be the only people in this part of your world. The river is beautiful. The landscape looks like it was carved by glaciers – very similar to parts of Ireland I biked through some years ago. Thanks for a great start to my weekend. Janet

Yes, it is cold. Summer is so short that it is not warmed. I checked from Internet and found that during summer its temperature varies from 7 °c / 44.6 ºF to 14 °c / 57.2 ºF. To me, that I can swim, the temperature of water must be at least 20 ºC / 68 ºF.

My Spanish is not so good, because correct grammar in Spanish is not so easy! I find it much easier to speak, but when writing and then all the errors are revealed. 🙂

To where are heading in South America? There are so many interesting places to visit. I have been Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. To me, as a Finn, the most interesting place has been in Brazil in Penedo (near to Rio de Janeiro. There is small Finnish colony which has old Finnish traditions yet. Some examples: There are every Saturday Finnish dances on a club and there is played old Finnish popular songs. In many hotels there are real Finnish Saunas! I have enjoyed there from both of these wonders. Many people from Rio come to spend week-end to there and to enjoy some Nordic exotics. 🙂

Between Finland and Norway?
Wow, I can imagine it must be very, very far away from Helsinki, in the very north!
Is it safe to go there in the summer because I know you have bears in your countryside!!!

I heard that people usually carry bells or something to make loud noise so the bears are aware of people approaching to them.
But I don’t really like this. I enjoy the silentness in the wood, so bells are such nuisance.
Do you know any other ways to prevent bear encounters with a silent method?

Yes, it is safe. You have heard nice urban legends which have nothing to do with real life!!! 🙂 Believe me. Bears are living more to the South and in woods. From Finnish Internet, freely translated: “During the last hundred years, a bear once killed a man. This happened Ruokolahti 1998, when he got lost on his jogging track. Then the bear defended its cups”.

The fact that bear is dangerous, is true, but bear is dodging a man. It has very developed sense of smell and due to it a man cannot see bear generally speaking. Another situation in which bear can be dangerous, is when hunters awakes a bear from its hibernation! Also in that case hunters have violated bear’s home peace! 🙂 Any one of us would annoyed when after sleeping long winter months and hunger is hard!

Very interesting location again… I always wonder where you are going to take us 🙂
It must be a fantastic place to spend some summer holidays… Refreshing water, a lot of green… everything we like !
Have a lovely weekend Matti 🙂

Thank You for Your interest towards my blog and leaving nice comment. Well, I am taking You to Norway and then back to the South, but of course not in the same places. That is totally 14 posts. When continuing to the South of Arctic Circle, then 3 posts more. So, the total number of posts is 17 from our holiday.

Good evening Matti,
A very beautiful landscape that encourages travel to. I also liked the video very well. In between, I looked into several blogs, including yours, so I do not miss the connection. Please look into today’s e-mail. We wish you and Anya, afterwards all the best and above all, quite a lot of health for the new year 2012.
Dear greetings from Christel and Detlev